Veneer shipping-crate.



C. Q. C. LEIGH.

VENEER SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION man sPT.H,1916.

unteren sans rarrnnrr oratore.

@HLRLES Q. C. LEIGH, OF CHCAGfO, ILLINOIS.

VENEER SHIPPING-CRATE.

Application filed September 8, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, CHARLES Q. C. LEIGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

I State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Veneer Shipping-Crates, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has relation to folding crates which may be readily assembled for receiving goods and for holding the same during shipment and handling, and which may be folded into a package of very much reduced size for return after the crate has been emptied.

The particular object of my present invention is the provision of a crate which can be made entirely of what is known as veneer, or thin strips of wood, without requiring pieces of molding of heavier dimensions than the veneer to be manufactured and assembled therewith. As is well known, veneer, while being more pliable than heavier pieces of wood, is very tough and much less liable to break, and my crate is therefore much stronger than the crates formed with strips of molding or beading. My crate also is less expensive to make, as it does away with the expense of the heavier molding strips.

l secure the above objects by means of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective of a crate made in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the bottom, sides and top extended before they are formed into a crate.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectionthrough the laterally disposed laminated edges at the corner of the crate.

gig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, an

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The sides, bottom and top of my crate are each preferably formed of three longitudinally disposed spaced bars, 6, 7 and 8, and extending transversely across which are the slats, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. It will of course be understood that a greater or less number of the longitudinal bars and tranverse slats may be employed in accordance with the dimensions desired in the crate, or that the sections may be made continuous without the openings formed by the spaced slats. Secured upon either end edge of each section Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1?, 191'?.

Serial No. 119,020.

formed of the longitudinal members, G, 7 and 8, and the transverse members, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, are laterally extended pieces, each formed of three layers of veneered strips secured together by nails or brads or in any other suitable manner. The ends of the outside and inside layers, 14 and 16, are beveled or mitered at a suitable angle, so as to properly assemble when the sides are formed into a crate. rllhe intermediate layer is not continuous but is preferably made of short lengths, 15a, 15b and 15, which are spaced from each other so as to provide pockets, 15, between the layers, 14 and 16, for the reception of the cross cleats of the end sections to be hereafter described. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the block, 15C, is left rectangular and extends between and bevond the beveled edges of the pieces, 1t and 16,. while at the opposite end no block is provided, so that the blocks 15, serve as tongues or tenons for the adjacent section. rllhe end sections preferably consist of the vertical slats, 17, 18 and 19, secured to the horizontal battens, 20and 21. The ends of the battens, 20 and 21, are adapted to fit into the slots provided by spacing the intermediate pieces, 15, 15b and 15C, of the laterally extending edge, and the slats, 17, 18 and 19, preferably abut the inner faces of the laminated lateral extensions upon the top and bottom section.

The bottom, top and sides are flexibly seclured together by the wires, 22 and 23, secured to the respective sections by the staples, 24, or in any other suitable way. The friction developed by the insertion of the battens, 20 and 21, in the pockets of the laminated lateral extensions upon the sides is usually ample to hold the crate together while the same is being packed, but nails or brads may be nailed through the laminated' extensions at the points Where they receive the tenons of adjacent sections or where they receive the ends of the battens, 20 or 21, for greater security. Such nails preferably should be slightly longer than the thickness of the lateral extensions so as to facilitate their removal. After the crate is properly packed, the cover is closed down, the ends of the wires, 22 and 23, are twisted together, which secures the crate in a sufficiently substantial manner to render it available for the extremely severe service required in shipping package freight. ln order to open the crate it is only necessary to untwist the ends of the Wires, 22 and 23,A

when the cover may be raised and after the crate has been emptied, the end pieces may be removed and folded between the bottom, top and sides in a single comparatively flat package of much reduced size.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is obvious that I provide an extremely stron0r and serviceable crate which may be manufactured at a minimum cost and which has all the advantages of the hitherto known more eX- pensive structures.

What I claim as new is:

1. A folding crate comprising bottom top and side sections each end edge of each section provided with a lateral extension formed of three layers of veneer the intermediate layer whereof is formed of spaced strips whereby pockets and tenons are formed in said lateral extensions, means for flexibly securing said sections together, and end sections having projections thereon adapted to enter the pockets in said lateral extensions.

2. A folding crate comprising bottom top and side sections each end edge of each section provided with a lateral extension havlng mitered ends and formed of three layers of veneer the intermediate layer whereof is formed of spaced and tenons are formed in said lateral extensions, means for flexibly securing said sections together, and end sections having projections thereon adapted to enter the pockets in said lateral extensions.

3. A folding crate comprising bottom top and side sections each formed of longitudinal spaced strips and transversely spaced strips of veneer and each end edge of each section provided with a lateral extension formed of three layers of veneer the intermediate layer whereof is formed of spaced strips whereby pockets and tenons are formed in said lateral extensions, means for flexibly securing said sections together, and end sections having projections thereon adapted to enter the pockets in said lateral extensions.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 1st day of Sept., 1916.

CHARLES Q. C. LEIGII.

Witnesses:

H. SLACK, BENJ. T. RooDHoUsE.

strips whereby pockets 

